


The Writing’s on the Wall

by Fujioushijin



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bilingual Lance (Voltron), Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Cuban Lance (Voltron), F/M, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, First Kiss, Galaxy Garrison, Gay Keith (Voltron), Gen, Hunk & Pidge | Katie Holt Friendship, Hunk (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Japanese Shiro (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Keith (Voltron) is a Mess, Klance Week 2018, M/M, Minor Pidge | Katie Holt/Shiro, Multi, Oblivious Lance (Voltron), Older Man/Younger Woman, Other, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Shiro (Voltron), Pre-Canon, Romantic Soulmates, Samoan Hunk (Voltron), Sassy Pidge | Katie Holt, Shidge Month 2018, Star-crossed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2018-11-07
Packaged: 2019-08-19 09:03:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16531523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fujioushijin/pseuds/Fujioushijin
Summary: A good student. A good sister. How is a 14 year-old Katie to react when strange writing begins to clutter her arms?‘Are you there?’The words beckon, each stroke giving Katie the oddest sensation.’Please answer’Opposite, an older, desperate Shiro has been obsessively scrawling out messages on his skin for years, in attempts to contact that one, precious person that he was destined to be with. For years, he’d considered that they could just be dead or uninterested. He’d fretted, he’d worried. He’d wondered if maybe, he might just not have a soulmate afterall. Though his hopes are once more lifted, when he finally gets a response.





	1. Late Night Scribbles

**Author's Note:**

  * For [l](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=l).



> Okay!! So this is my first Voltron fanfiction, and I’m going to do my best. This was inspired by a fanfiction I read sometime ago, and a prompt I saw online. While I am inspired, I will do my best to keep this original. Please, take a chance on this story(ﾉ´﹀｀*)  
> In this AU, Shiro and Pidge don't know eachother.  
> This is also highly-non canon. Voltron and the Alteans don't even exist in this AU

“F＊ck this!!”

Katie crashed the unresponsive robot to the floor, frustration making her veins swell. She’d been tinkering away at the same project for weeks, but nothing was coming of it. All that time bragging to Hunk about how she’ll never have to make her own sandwhich again... Sure, a sandwhich-making robot was an odd priority for a young cadet at the esteemed Galaxy Garrison, but hey? Why not use her smarts to make life a little easier?

“Pidge, some of us want to sleep.”

Her roomate groaned, flopping over onto his other side to face the practically nocturnal girl. This was the 5th time that week she’d woken him up. Either whilst tinkering with her project, or rather loudly munching on a bag of cookies stolen from the Garrison pantry. Which of course, they proceeded to share. 

“What are you even”

_Yawn_

“doing up this late?”

Hunk questioned, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. 

Hunk was a good roomate, and an even better friend. He was kind, generous, and even if he was annoyed, would ultimately assist you in any ridiculous scheme you could brew.

“Working.”

Pidge answered simply, trying to piece her fractured robot back together. Why did she have to break it into 10s of pieces...

As Hunk’s eyes adjusted, he noticed a strange mark on his roomate’s arm, illuminated by the light of the lamp that she worked by.

“Hey,”

He began, head cocking in confusion.

“what’s that?”

Pidge turned still, glancing around to try to figure out what he was talking about. 

“My waterbottle...?”

Hunk shook his head, crawling out of bed to properly assess the strange mark. He kneeled, gently taking her arm in his hands and rolling up her already rolled pyjama sleeve.

“It looks like...writing.”

He said, causing Pidge to grow beyond confused. She didn't write that, did she?

“Hunk if this is a prank-”

“Hey, this time it’s not me.”

“This time!? So it was you that time you said!!-”

“Pidge, focus. You’ve been awake, how could I do this without you knowing?”

He said, halfly because he didn't want to admit to having previously drawn on his roomate in her sleep.

“I guess that’s true.”

Pidge said, abandoning the idea. Though she fully intended to return to the subject of Hunk’s previous offenses.

“I think...it’s a soul-mark.”

Pidge’s face ruffled in confusion. Soul...mark?

_‘Like from a soulmate?’_

She thought, curiousity taking it’s hold. 

“Like from a soul-”

“I know what a soul-mark is.”

She interuppted, taking her arm back to observe the writing herself. 

It was neat, sharp, aesthetic. For some reason, Pidge felt a warmth pool in her stomach just from looking at it.

_Are you here?_

She read, swallowing her nervousness. It was sickeningly sweet.

_Please answer_


	2. I’m Here

Hunk and Pidge had gawked silently at the scribbles for a full minute before Hunk finally piped up, suggesting that they should get some sleep. Pidge had quietly submitted, slipping under her sheets with a blank expression. 

She had a soulmate. Wasn't she too young? She’d heard that soulmates only manifested after puberty. And she was only...14. Pidge was the perfect age. She felt both so infantalized and so adultified. 

“Pidge,”

Hunk called through the darkness, calling her attention.

“I’m happy for you.”

* * *

 

Katie woke up before Hunk, a common occurance as she was rather restless.  Fishing around the compartment under her bed, the girl searched almost desperately for a-

“Gotcha.”

She mumbled triumphantly...and maybe a little too loudly. Pidge cringed waiting quietly for Hunk to wake. He never did. She exhaled.

Pidge pulled her blankets over her head, fingers easily finding the flashlight’s ON button. She’d used that exact flashlight for too many late-night reading sessions to not know every inch like scripture. At first, her eyes stung, but they soon adjusted to the light, and could instead focus on her true intention.

Seeing that beautiful handwriting _one more time._

Katie examined every stroke on her arm, feeling that odd new feeling well up in her stomach. She began to wonder if her “other half” was also awake. Remembering that she’d left a pen on her nightstand, Pidge was tempted to write something.

_‘What if I say the wrong thing?’_

She thought, nervousness making her hands shake. 

Finding enough courage, Katie ventured from underneath the sheets to grab the pen. The shaft was all white, save for the Galaxy Garrison logo brandished on the side. 

Pidge forced her hands to still as her mind swirled with what to say. Anxiety tearing at her, Pidge bit at her lip, so hard that she thought it might bleed. Atleast it felt better to focus on the sting than the knot in her stomach.

“Here I go...I guess.”

She said, before beginning to scrawl out a message.

_I’m here. Who are you?_

“Pidge?”

The girl tugged the blanket off of her head, wincing as she was immediately exposed to a room full of light. In the doorway, a uniformed Hunk stood, a piece of toast in one hand and the other on the lightswitch.

Katie looked confusedly at the lump that was in Hunk’s bed.

“But...you’re-”

Hunk knitted his brows in confusion.

“Pidge, that’s a pillow. Put your glasses on.”

Pidge scrambled for her glasses which had been carelessly abandoned on the floor, orphaning her pen. Now bespectacled, Pidge could see that what she had assumed to be Hunk, was infact, a pillow or two bunched up under a blanket.

“I must’ve left it under there when I got up, sorry.”

He said, slightly embarrassedly scratching the back of his neck. 

“Wait.”

Pidge began to feel an inkling of anxiety.

“Why are you dressed?”

“... it’s 12:00pm.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m honestly not thrilled with the ending of this chapter, and I may change it in the future(；´﹀｀) But for now...tada!★


	3. Cruel and Unusual

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You’ll have to wait a little longer to see Shiro’s response, sorry(^︿^ゞ But on the bright side, after two chapters, you’ll finally get some Shidge! The next chapter will be full of Shiro/Pidge scenes, though per promise to a friend, I’m going to do my best to keep them vauge enough that they can be interpreted as platonic or romantic. Though I may fail..........

“Look, I’m sorry!”

Hunk and Pidge wandered down the corridor together, a newly clothed Pidge visibly upset. She was pouting, arms crossed, brows knitted.

“I’m still trying to gain Iverson’s trust back, and this doesn't help!”

She whined, looking up at her much taller friend with her bottom lip jutted. Whenever she looked at him from such an angle, she truly realised their daunting size difference. They had more than a foot between them, and well over 100 pounds. Next to Hunk, Pidge was dwarfed. 

“Okay, okay. Look. I’ll wake you up next time!”

“But what do I do this time-”

“Holt!”

The two friends stopped in their tracks. A very angry Iverson now stood infront of them, flanked by two uniformed officers. 

Pidge didn't bother with responding, simply dipping her head timidly. 

“You weren’t present for attendance or training, do you know how much trouble you’ve caused?”

He barked, arms latched behind his back and making him look that much bigger. 

“Yes, sir.”

The cadet to Iverson’s left peeked over at the small, cowering Pidge, finding something familiar in her- or him, he couldn't quite tell. It wasn't necessarily something in their voice, or their appearance- nothing superficial. It was like... an aura. The energy, the feeling that they simply overflowed with. Maybe they’d met before. There was something familiar about the name too... Holt.

Holt. 

Holt. 

Holt. 

Oh. 

The cadet remembered where he’d heard that name before. The Holts; the father and son duo who had gone missing along with their pilot during a mission to Kerberos. He wondered if they could be related... They did favour eachother. He’d heard that there was amother child- a daughter, Katie. Though she wasn't present at the Garrison at the time, so they never met. 

“Shirogane!”

The cadet raised his head, consequently pulling it from the clouds. 

“Yes sir!”

He stood straight, salluting and hardening his expression. 

“You are to supervise Ms. Holt to the faculty bathroom, where she will be expected to clean.”

Pidge cringed. The faculty bathroom at the Garrison was famous for being a hellscape. Dirty, stinking. And uselessly so. So few people used it after all, especially when compared to the crowded bathrooms offered to the cadets. 

“Yes sir.”

Shiro said, breifly nodding his head. 

“And you.”

Iverson turned to Hunk, who jumped fearfully. 

“You’ll be late for your training. Unless you wish to join your dormmate, I expect you should be on your way.”

Hunk didn't even bother to bid his friend goodbye before speeding towards the training deck, giving a little “Yes sir!” beforehand. 

Now, Pidge was orphaned to a pouting Iverson and two older cadets, intimidation pressing her gaze to the floor. 

Though in a moment of curiosity, Pidge glanced up and over at the cadet flanking Iverson’s left. Shirogane, that was his name. There was something curious about him. Something that interested Pidge. She was suddenly grateful that he’d been assigned to her, as she’d now be given opprotunity to observe him. He seemed...familar. In a comforting way. Pidge liked it. 

Alot. 


	4. Scrub-a-Dub-Dub

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, anyone who’s still reading this!❤

Pidge and Shiro had entertained a silence for a majority of the time they’d spent in eachother, not even daring to greet eachother once they were left to themselves. The only words which had been exchanged were from Pidge, questioning which cleaning products she should use. Shiro only nodded at her selection, not putting much thought into his approval. 

For most of the time, they simply oberseved eachother, Shiro curiously watching Pidge scrub the filthy bathroom floors, and Pidge glancing up at her superior every few minutes or so. Though after awhile, the silence grew poisonous, and the girl decided to break free. 

“I’ve heard of you, y’know.”

Pidge began, eyes glued to her work but mind pinned to Shiro. 

“You’re Takashi Shirogane, aren't you?”

Shiro was slightly taken aback by the sound of her voice. It was...cute. Calming. Nostalgic. Like an old song. Everything about this person he’d known for 10 minutes was nostalgic, familiar, strangely. 

“I am. Though you can just call me Shiro.”

He said, offering her a small smile, which she probably didn't see.

Katie had heard of Takashi Shirogane, like most other Garrison cadets. He was practically a legend for his skill and successes as a pilot, and many of the cadets at her rank aspired to develop into his twin. 

“Nice to meet you then, Shiro.”

Pidge said, gaze still to the disgusting floor. 

Their conversation seemed to fizzle out for approximately 57 seconds, which disappointed a now rather interested Shiro. 

“I’ve heard of you too.”

Shiro chirped, hoping that their conversation could pick up once more.

“Your father and brother, atleast.”

This seemed to interest Pidge, as she sat up onto her knees with a look of curiousity, a glint of sadness in her honey-coloured eyes. 

“I’m very sorry about what happened, Katie.”

Pidge faught back a cringe for two reasons.

One; so few people called her Katie anymore. Only her family-members, or Hunk and Lance when they were teasing her. Even Iverson had assimilated into calling her Pidge.

Two; the mention of her missing-presumed-dead father and brother, who’s mention still rattled her with greif. 

Without response, Pidge got back onto her hands and knees and continued scrubbing, leaving Shiro to feel guilty for pressing into a wound which was still raw. 

They spent the rest of their time together in a thick, soupy silence, both of them considering to propose a conversation every few minutes, but never making anything of it. In a way, the awkwardness was as much of a punishment as the  _actual_ punishment. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I’ll keep how the Pidge Gunderson alias works into my AU a secret for awhile, until it comes up in the story. There have been a few clues throughout the chapters, so I’d love to hear your theories if you have any.


	5. Bespectacled Seductress

Shiro groaned with exhaustion as he fell through the door of his dorm, crashing into the couch with a pout. He was wholly drained of energy, eyelids barely maintaining height. He forced himself to sit up, popping the buttons of his uniform shirt and tossing it away, leaving him in a white tanktop. 

Shiro pressed his face into his sweaty palms, taking a moment to rest and think.

He thought over his day; His classes, his training- and Pidge. 

Shiro wasn't sure why she haunted his mind so, seducing him from productive and necessary thought into a land of fantasy. He thought of her; what she might like to eat, what her favourite colour might be, if she was a heavy sleeper. It was...bizzare. Shiro had never felt anything quite like it before. And admittedly, it felt a little gross. 

Shiro pulled his hands away from his face almost in defeat. He wasn't going to escape her there, why even try. 

As he moved his hands away, he noticed little marks on his inner arm. 

No...

Words!! 

Shiro gasped, a large smile crooking at his lips. 

Could it be...?

He traced out the scrappy, lazy hand writing with his thumb. He smiled in amusement. He wondered if his soulmate had been tired when she or he wrote the message, as the lettering was so sloppy. 

_I’m here. Who are you?_

Takashi’s heart raced, a warmth pooling in his stomach as he gazed lovingly at each and every letter. Was this real? He resisted the urge to pinch himself.

Coming out of his daze of pink, Shiro grabbed the nearest pen, willing his hands not to rattle as he wrote a response on the top of his arm. 

_My name is_

Shiro paused. He knew the rules of a soulmark. You couldn't tell your soulmate your name until you met under full knowledge of your connection. Shiro bit his lip. What was a good alias.........

_Sven_

Perfect. 

_I’m your soulmate._

* * *

 

 

“Lance-”

“Oh and Khloe she’s the tall one.”

“Lance-”

“And Kourtney she’s-”

“Lance there’s something on my arm!”

The Cuban boy stopped applying the thick, green paste to his friend’s face, a look of confusion on his face. 

The pair was in Lance’s room, his roomate was elsewhere. It was their tradition to do facemasks and read celebrity gossip magazines twice a week, Lance teaching an ignorant Pidge about the throws of celebredom. 

“On your arm?”

Lance sat confused for a moment before perking up.

“ _Ooooo〜_ Another message from your soulmate?”

Lance had been thoroughly breifed about the situation by an embarrassed Pidge, who had awkwardly shown off her message and response. 

Pidge blushed as Lance grabbed her arm and read the newest edition. 

“‘ _My name is Sven. I’m your soulmate’”_

Lance smirked once he finished reading. 

“He sounds hot.”

The younger girl tugged her arm back, her face now entirely florid with embarrassment. 

“Don’t you have your own soulmate to fawn over?”

Both Lance and his soulmate had been early bloomers, sending their first successful messages at only the age of 10. They had grown up together, in a way. And they were awfully affectionate, often sending long, loving messages to oneanother, bringing smiles to lips and blushes to cheeks. Lance often bragged about his poetic soulmate. 

“What’s up sh＊tface.”

The door opened to reveal Lance’s exhausted and battered roomate, who made a B-line for his bed, black hair tossing as he collapsed upon it.

Lance narrowed his eyes. 

“ _Keith._ ”

He muttered in distain. He and his roomate weren’t on the best of terms, often mocking eachother or insulting eachother. Honestly, Pidge found the whole thing rather childish, which inspired her next move. 

“I should get going.”

Pidge said, which provoked a pout from her Cuban friend. 

“Fine... Just let me wash that off of your face.”

* * *

 

Pidge walked tiredly down the corridor back to she and Hunk’s dorm, hoping that she wouldn't run into another cadet, or worse- Iverson himself. 

Her skin now replenished by Lance’s special beauty pack, Pidge was ready for sleep. 

...maybe a little too much so. 

Out of fatigue, she happened to bump into someone. 

It was Shiro.

“Sorry.”

She mumbled at the person she hadn't quite identified yet. Though once she saw his face, it clicked. 

“Shiro, right?”

He nodded, smiling at her through the darkness. 

“And you’re...Katie?”

Shiro wondered if she remembered how awkward it had gotten earlier. How could she not?

“Just call me Pidge.”

She said with a watery smile. She was about to walk away when she felt a hand latch to her arm, a strong one. 

“Wait.”

Shiro bit his lip. Should he really say this?

“Would you like to hang out sometime?”

Pidge was slightly taken aback by his offer. She almost questioned his motives right then and there, but something about that felt ridiculously rude, so Pidge settled for a nod and a little smile. 

“Sure.”


End file.
